LEICESTER, Mass. – Becker College's senior women's soccer and softball student-athlete, Kyra Teixeira (Old Lyme, Conn.) is one of 605 female college student-athletes nominated for the 2020 NCAA Woman of the Year Award, as announced Tuesday.
Rooted in Title IX, the NCAA Woman of the Year Award was established in 1991 to recognize graduating female student-athletes who have exhausted their eligibility and distinguished themselves in academics, athletics, service and leadership throughout their collegiate careers.
Teixeira has been a stand-out in her own right, as a two-sport athlete for the Hawks. The Exercise Science major was named to the United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Women's Soccer Scholar All-East Region Third Team following her senior campaign. She was also recently awarded Becker's John J. Dorsey Scholar Athlete Award, which is presented to a Becker College senior that has excelled both in the classroom and in the athletic arena, and takes into account both athletic accomplishments and academic standing. In addition, she has been inducted into Chi Alpha Sigma, and has been named to the NECC Academic All-Conference team for both soccer and softball in each of her eligible semesters.
Teixeira explained, "My experiences as a scholar have influenced my life and empowered me to have a positive impact on the world by pushing me past boundaries or goals I have initially set for myself, and being able to accomplish as well as break through those standards I set for myself."
In her rookie season, Teixeira suffered a catastrophic knee injury- yet she battled back and was named the 2019 NECC Women's Soccer Player of the Year, leading the Hawks with 44 points and 18 goals.
"My experiences as an athlete have influenced my life and empowered me to have a positive impact on the world by showing me that when life knocks you down time after time, that it is possible to get back up and fight," said Teixeira.
Teixeira has been named All-Conference twice in her soccer career, and was recognized regionally, as she earned NEWISA Second Team All-Region honors in her senior year. On the diamond, she had tallied three hits and an RBI in her senior softball campaign before it ended prematurely.
"COVID-19 has impacted my academics, athletics, as well as my life in various ways," expressed Teixeira. "It has helped me learn to adapt to adversity, and that anything can change at any given moment so I need to appreciate what I have when I have it, because many times there are other people around the world who are not as lucky as we are to be able to go to college or even play collegiate sports."
Teixeira was involved in the planning and implementation of several Special Olympics Massachusetts events throughout her four years at Becker College. Other volunteer activities included working at various soccer clinics through the past five years, and volunteering at Big Fluffy Dog Rescue Events. She also partook in the following walks in her home state: Terri Brodeur Breast Cancer Foundation Walk, Hospice Walk, and Cystic Fibrosis Walk.
To read more about the NCAA Woman of the Year Award, please visit: http://www.ncaa.org/about/resources/events/awards/ncaa-woman-year-nomination-and-award-process
Portions of this Release Courtesy of NCAA & NECC Communications
